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How Metal Workers In India Are Keeping A 600-Year-Old Art Alive | Still Standing
How Metal Workers In India Are Keeping A 600-Year-Old Art Alive | Still Standing
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Subtitles (84)
0:01
Bidri art is a form of metalworking
0:03
from India that hasn't changed in 600 years.
0:07
The eight-step process involves molten metals,
0:10
hours of chiseling, and an eye for detail.
0:14
The secret ingredient? A special soil that can only be found
0:18
inside a fort in the city of Bidar.
0:21
But in an industry with already tight profit margins
0:24
and expensive raw materials,
0:26
the art form may not be around for much longer.
0:34
We visited some of the last artisans
0:37
who still know the craft to see how it's still standing.
0:45
Bidri art begins with metal casting.
0:48
An artisan uses a finished piece to make the mold.
0:52
He piles sand on top and packs it as tightly
0:56
as possible with the help of his body weight.
1:05
Now the mold is ready to cast a new piece.
1:10
The worker melts pieces of zinc and copper
1:12
over a small fire.
1:15
Then he pours the molten metal into the mold.
1:19
It takes about five minutes
1:20
for the metal to cool and solidify.
1:23
Then it's time to reveal the final shape.
1:38
Mohammed Ibrahim takes on buffing and polishing using one
1:42
of the only pieces of modern equipment in the workshop.
1:45
Then he covers the piece with a copper sulfate solution.
1:50
This creates a chalkboard-like surface
1:52
for the artisans to sketch out a design.
1:57
They begin to chisel away at the metal following the sketch.
2:03
It's the most time-consuming part of the process.
2:06
Sometimes they spend an entire day chiseling.
2:15
Next, the artisan hammers a silver
2:17
or gold wire into the engraving.
2:23
It's detailed work that takes patience and good eyesight.
2:28
That's why this glasses salesman comes
2:29
by the workshop every month.
2:42
Meanwhile, another worker welds the pieces together
2:44
to form a vase.
2:48
Then it goes through a few rounds
2:50
of buffing, filing, and cleaning.
2:57
Finally, workers boil together water,
2:59
soil, and aluminum chloride.
3:01
They soak the piece in the hot mud
3:03
to give it the signature black color.
3:09
The wire resists the coloration
3:11
so the design stands out against the dark background.
3:15
The soil used in this process is what
3:17
makes Bidri art unique.
3:28
It comes from a 600-year-old fort
3:31
which is just about three miles away
3:33
from Mohammad Salimuddin's workshop.
3:35
He says a chemical used in the fort's
3:37
construction gives the soil a special quality.
3:58
Mohammad says Bidri artisans have never been stopped
4:01
by security.
4:02
But before taking the soil, he checks the quality.
4:15
The fort was built by the Bahmani dynasty.
4:17
They're credited with bringing metalworkers
4:19
from Iran and popularizing Bidriware
4:22
between the 14th and 15th centuries.
4:25
The art flourished through the 1800s
4:27
when it was showcased at exhibitions in Europe.
4:30
But a fall in demand towards the end of the 20th century
4:33
and the rising cost of silver in the 2000s
4:36
put a strain on artists' livelihoods.
4:45
The pandemic has also raised export costs and kept tourists
4:49
from visiting Bidar, slashing Mohammad's sales.
5:04
Today, Mohammad says there are around 10 workshops in Bidar.
5:08
But he worries they won't be around for much longer.
5:23
Mohammad has managed to stay in business
5:25
by expanding his market with online sales.
5:28
He sells pieces at his brick-and-mortar shop too,
5:31
just a short walk from the artisans' workshops.
5:35
A vase that takes up to three days to make
5:37
goes for 3,000 rupees, or $41.
5:42
Mohammad says he purposefully prices his goods
5:44
to just about break even to keep turnover high.
5:55
The pieces that require more time
5:56
and resources cost more, like this bust.
6:00
It took 20 days to make, and it's selling
6:02
for 60,000 rupees, or just over $800.
6:08
And this plate that took nearly two months to make
6:10
costs 200,000 rupees, or about $3,000.
6:18
Hardships aside, Mohammad is happy
6:21
so long as the whole industry works together.
